Am I a Pedophile?

Hey Everyone,
I am an 18 year old male and I am worried that I may have pedophilia. I'll start off by saying I really like kids. I enjoy their company and love being role models for them. I've liked kids since I was about 15 but I didn't start thinking about them sexually until I heard of what pedophilia was. Now I think about them sexually a fair amount, although I have never acted upon these urges. I should also mention that I have OCD. I am still attracted to girls my own age. But I don't really get crushes on them..my attraction to girls is only physical, not really emotional. But when I was younger I had severe crushes on girls all the time, but not anymore. Whereas my attraction to younger boys is more emotional. I am having a really tough time deciding whether or not I have pedophilia.

Can anyone help?

Maybe, or maybe just obsessive thoughts about young boys? Read up on the other pedophile's posts, see if what they are saying applies to you, if you share the same feelings. That will generally tell you what you need to know. If you find yourself getting sick while reading the posts, it may just be the OCD.

This is actulaly really sad.

I've been feeling the same way except I'm a female and in truth, I've been off the wall with everyone, but I think it was all just worries and I have OCD too.

To think we didn't even think of it until the word was heard is actually quite sad and maybe means we need to fix our thought proceses or boundaries and thoughts (in my case it was negative thoughts any negative thoughts can get to me) .

I have been thinking of seeing a professional about this and actually I think I really need to because I know we're not really this and it's just bad thoughts in the head mixed with in my case a fragile or worrisome mindset.

So are we really pedophiles? I don't really think so, I just think we have misleading or worrisome thoughts, but to see a mental health professional definitely.

And Thanks The_Ghoul too, because it does make me feel sick when these ruminations happen in fact really sick, so. Thanks I think it really helps it distinguish it as OCD in this case.

No, you do not have pedophilia. You like kids, and your OCD is making you read too much into that. Which is why all of this happened after you found out about pedophilia.

I'm almost certain that you know that you're not a pedophile, but your OCD is making you actually ask.

Relax. You are showing all of the signs as someone who just has OCD, not pedophilia. I'm not a doctor, so I can't give medical advice: But I should go ahead and tell you to see a psychiatrist to get some medication. It won't be long before you start having panic/anxiety attacks over this stuff.

I'm a male, never was abused before, although my step-grandfather abused my mother. I had a problem with young girls though never abused any. One of my distant cousins I never met before many years ago was clingy to me and the thought at the time was in my head even though she told me another cousin tried to abuse her and was caught by her mother. Her mother came in one day when I was hugging her and kinda scooted her out of the room, said she said to go up for supper or something. She never said anything to me afterwards nor did anyone else, but I was filled with guilt and fear and confusion from it all. I made an effort to not be around her whenever possible. And years later I collected every bit of porn or every kind, including illegal kinds. When my apartment was broken into years ago and everything was stolen it was ironically the best thing that could have happened. The thoughts sometimes still are in my head but I have control over them now. I think you'll be alright to, I obsess about things and have ADD and a bit of paranoia which is why I've made it so I never have a reason to be afraid anymore.